---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: krpamaya_gauranga@hotmail.com
Date: Thu, 2 Jun 2011 20:00:25 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [srilaprabhupadanectar] Remembering Srila Prabhupada - Class
at Melbourne
To: rememberingsrilaprabhupada@yahoogroups.com

Class at Melbourne

Prabhupada's reason for travelling to Melbourne was mainly to train
and convince his disciples. Out of the nine processes of devotional
service to Lord Krsna, Prabhupada had explained that the first
process, hearing, was the most important. Without hearing sufficiently
from authentic sources like Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita,
no-one could make progress in spiritual life. Thus for the devotees,
hearing directly from their spiritual master was the highlight of
their few days with him.

In the evening, Srila Prabhupada spoke to a packed temple room from
Chapter 13 of Bhagavad-gita, verse 2.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: "This body, O Son of Kunti,
is called the field, and one who knows this body is called the knower
of the field."

Prabhupada spoke about the body and the owner of the body, ksetra and
ksetrajnah. "Ksetra means field. Just like a tiller, agriculturalist.
He is given a certain tract of land, and he tills and produces grains
or some vegetables or something eatable. Similarly this body is the
field and I am, or you are, who is occupying this body, we are
tillers. This body is given by nature and I am spirit soul. Just like
one may possess very valuable land, one may possess land not so
valuable, ordinary, and one may possess a third-class field.
Similarly, we living entities, we are given a certain type of body to
work with and enjoy or suffer the result of an action. Somebody is
very highly intelligent. Somebody is not so intelligent. Somebody is
very rich. Somebody is poor. Somebody is middle-class. Somebody is an
animal. Somebody is a tree. Somebody an insect. Somebody is an
aquatic."

Prabhupada described that although there were many varieties of life,
modern universities and educational institutions could not ascertain
the exact number. "They cannot say. But, if you consult the Vedic
literatures, you'll find exactly the number, jalaja nava-laksani: 'In
the water, the aquatic living beings are nine hundred thousand
different bodies.' So I don't think there is any biologist or botanist
who can say exactly how many forms of life there are within the water.

"We have got information from Vedic literature that there is a fish
which is called timingila. Timi means whale fish. These timingila fish
swallow up these whale fish like this." Srila Prabhupada opened his
mouth and eyes very wide and imitated the timingila fish gulping down
a whole whale. The devotees laughed to see Prabhupada's perfect
caricature.

"Similarly, the Vedic literatures give information, sthavara
laksa-vimsati. Sthavara means the living entities who cannot move."
Srila Prabhupada gave an astonishing example. "Here, by the side of
the wall, this house, there is a tree. It has grown. Just see that
tree is not even within the jungle. In a small space it has grown all
sides surrounded by house, and it is alone. Just see how much
condemned life. Other trees, they are at least in the jungle, in the
society of trees." The devotees laughed. "But this tree is alone. We
have to consider this, how this tree has been so much condemned. Tree
is condemned life because you are human beings, you are sitting here.
If you like, you can move immediately. But the tree cannot move.
'Stand up there.' By who's order? By God's order. 'You must stand up.'
Don't take it neglectfully. It is very serious. According to Vedic
calculation, this tree which has grown here, that living entity was
sometimes the owner or occupier of this house, and it had so much
attachment that it cannot go out of this house. Therefore he has been
given this body, tree. 'Alright, you live here and stand up.'"

The devotees were amazed to hear this description of the identity of
the young solitary rhus tree which had grown from the concrete yard at
the side of the house. Prabhupada continued: "Sometimes we become
ghosts. If we become too much attached, we cannot leave. Therefore too
much opulent apartment, opulent life, is not very good for spiritual
advancement, because we get too much attached to it. My guru maharaja
used to advise us that 'It is better to live in a rented house than to
possess one's own house'. Why? Because if we possess our own house,
we'll be more attached. [This] attachment sometimes leads me to become
a tree, a mouse, to become a serpent in the same house. After all, you
may purchase a nice house, you decorate it very nicely. But you have
to leave it. You cannot live here permanently. That is not possible."

Prabhupada concluded the class by saying that just as there are
different qualities of fields, the human body is the best type of body
for inquiry into the Absolute Truth. "Athato brahma-jijnasa. Therefore
the Vedanta-sutra says that this life is simply meant for enquiry
about the Supreme. That's all. The animals cannot do it. So, simply if
we waste our time just like the animals, then again we glide down to
animal life. That is a great loss. After many, many births we have got
this human form of life. If we simply waste like cats and dogs, then
again we become cats and dogs or trees or anything. There are so many
species of life. That will be a great mistake, a great loss. Havoc it
will be. Therefore, our, this Krsna consciousness movement, is to
educate people to God consciousness or Krsna consciousness so that his
life may be successful. Thank you very much."

After the evening program, Mohanananda, who had travelled down to
Melbourne with Srila Prabhupada, asked him frankly in his room which
temple he preferred -- Sydney or Melbourne. With a smile, Prabhupada
answered that as far as decoration was concerned, although the Sydney
altar was better, it appeared that the Melbourne temple had done a
better job overall. Mohanananda excused himself and immediately rang
Sydney to break the news, and offer some advice. Since Prabhupada was
returning to Sydney in four days, Mohanananda suggested that the
Sydney devotees should get to work immediately, upgrading the Sydney
temple as quickly and nicely as possible. And he added, in his
characteristic flamboyant style, "money is no object". The
transcendental competition continued.

- From "The Great Transcendental Adventure" by HG Kurma Prabhu

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Yours
Dinesh

[srilaprabhupadanectar] Remembering Srila Prabhupada - Class at Melbourne